UH Manoa Campus Events Calendar

Framing Paradise: Photography and Waikīkī

Millions of tourists flock to Waikīkī annually with cameras at-the-ready. Such travelers have been lured to and by Waikīkī for over a century—it is a place that has shaped the very idea of tourism. Early photographers snapped images of Waikīkī’s natural beauty, water sports, beaches, and cosmopolitan man-made structures. The amalgamation of these images created a visual mythology and iconography of Waikīkī that tourists sought to experience and capture for themselves. Through the medium of photography, "Framing Paradise: Photography and Waikīkī" explores interactions and encounters with Waikīkī.

"Framing Paradise: Photography and Waikīkī" features selections from "Hawaii," a portfolio by internationally recognized photographer Daido Moriyama, and from "Waikiki ’73," a portfolio by established Hawai‘i-based photographer Eric Yanagi, as well as over one hundred archival photographs taken by professionals and amateurs from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s. Written contributions by a number of local individuals bring a variety of voices and perspectives to the photographs on view. The education section of the exhibition provides visitors opportunities to compare significant events in the development of photography and Waikīkī.